Barking & Dagenham College Tutor, Adnan Mahmood, named VQ Teacher of the Year for England

10th June 2015

Adnan Mahmood from Barking & Dagenham College has been awarded the title of VQ Teacher of the Year 2015 for England at the annual VQ Awards, led by independent education charity the Edge Foundation.

The award was introduced to recognise the efforts of the thousands of vocational teachers and trainers who help learners gain the skills, experience, qualifications and motivation they need to succeed.

Adnan has proved to be an outstanding lecturer who has consistently gone above and beyond the requirements of his role to ensure that his students feel inspired, motivated and supported. His commitment to engaging large numbers of students within enterprising activity led Barking & Dagenham College to win Entrepreneurial College of the Year for 2015.

Adnan was also responsible for guiding student entries into entrepreneurial competition the Edge Challenge which saw one of his teams successfully pitch their idea at The Skills Show in Birmingham and win £5000 towards their business idea. He has also led the college to win the national ‘Pantrepreneur’ competition, with the winning students sent on a “life changing and eye opening” trip to India.

Adnan beat stiff competition from fellow finalist, Dale Turner from Cambridge Regional College, to win the accolade sponsored by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF). He was presented with his trophy by award-winning garden designer and television personality Diarmuid Gavin.

Adnan said:

"I'm delighted to have won this special award in recognition of my vocational teaching. I hope my work has given my students the skills and inspiration to pursue their chosen careers with confidence, and that it will continue to do so for many years to come."

Held on 10th June 2015, VQ Day is an annual event that aims to celebrate Vocational achievement. From 16-year-olds to those over 60, VQ day celebrates the acquisition of new skills and encourages uptake of high quality vocational courses.

David Harbourne, Acting CEO of the Edge Foundation, says:

“VQ Day is an opportunity to celebrate vocational achievement and Adnan has demonstrated a remarkable ability to inspire and captivate the imagination of his students. As a result of his commitment, Barking & Dagenham College students will gain the technical, practical and work-related skills they need to get the edge in their chosen careers.

Cathy Walsh OBE, Principal and CEO at Barking & Dagenham College commented:

“Adnan Mahmood is a gifted tutor and entrepreneurial leader who inspires our students to achieve their full potential.

"He is passionate about enterprise and actively seeks out opportunities which will help build students’ confidence and develop their work-ready skills, whether they want to launch their own business or become an entrepreneurial employee. We are absolutely delighted that his talent and hard work has received national recognition.”